3 declared dead[e] 6 MQ-9 Reapers lost (3 confirmed shotdown by Houthis per US)[27] (6 shotdown per Houthis)[28]
6 Egyptian civilians wounded, one Vietnamese and three Filipino sailors killed and eight injured[f] 1 Yemeni civilian killed and 8 others injured,[35] 16 Yemeni civilians killed and 35 injured on 30 May
Two ships have been hijacked by Houthi militants; one ship and 25 crew members remain in Houthi custody, while one ship has been released. At least 30 ships have been damaged by Houthi attacks. One UK-owned and one Greek-owned cargo ship sunk.[36][37]
The Houthi movement's militants, who oppose Yemen's internationally recognized government, have since 2014 controlled a considerable swath of the country's territory along the Red Sea. Shortly after the beginning of the Israel–Hamas war, the Hamas-allied group began to launch missiles and drones at Israel. Houthi militants have also fired on various countries' merchant vessels in the Red Sea, and particularly in the Bab-el-Mandeb—the southern maritime gateway to the Suez Canal of Egypt and therefore a chokepoint of the global economy. The group has declared that they will not stop until Israel ceases its war on Hamas.[40][43]
The Houthis says they consider any Israel-linked ship as a target,[44][45][46] including US and UK warships, but they have also indiscriminately attacked the ships of many nations.[41][47] From October 2023 to March 2024, the Houthis attacked more than 60 vessels in the Red Sea.[47] To avoid attack, hundreds of commercial vessels have been rerouted to sail around South Africa.[48]
The Houthis' Red Sea attacks have drawn a military response from a number of countries. In January 2024, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2722, condemning the Houthi attacks and affirming freedom of navigation.[47] The United States-led Operation Prosperity Guardian was launched to protect Red Sea shipping. Since 12 January, the US and UK have led coalition air and missile strikes against the Houthis, while other countries are independently patrolling the waters near Yemen, attacking Houthi vessels in the Red Sea.[49] Undaunted, in May, Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier GeneralYahya Saree said, "We will target any ships heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea in any area we are able to reach".[50]
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^"Houthi leader vows 'fourth phase' of Red Sea ship attacks". Arab News. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024. Al-Houthi said that 452 attacks by US and UK armies on militia-controlled regions had killed 40 people and injured 35 others since January.
Sanger, David E.; Barnes, Julian E.; Yee, Vivian; Rubin, Alissa J. (January 2024). "U.S. and Iran Wage a Proxy War"(News article). The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 January 2024. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
Plitsas, Alex; Mouton, Daniel E.; Panikoff, Jonathan; Warrick, Thomas S.; Wechsler, William F.; Fontenrose, Kirsten; Wald, Ellen (11 January 2024). "Experts react: What to know about US and UK strikes on the Houthis in Yemen"(Think tankanalysis). Washington, D.C.: Atlantic Council. Archived from the original on 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024. The challenge has long been that Iran, which provides technology and crucial parts for the Houthis' missiles and drones, will continue to urge its proxy to carry out attacks regardless of US strikes. Iran is not deterred by attacks on its proxies. But it remains to be seen what it will take to deter the Houthis from continuing to be involved in Iran's proxy war against the United States and its allies.
^ abc"Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea: Issues for Congress". Congressional Research Service. 12 March 2024. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024. Many Houthi attacks on commercial vessels have not appeared discriminate or linked to stated demands. Since October 17, the Houthis have attacked commercial and naval vessels more than 60 times (Figure 1)